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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — certain
  3. race — a contest
  4. bound — obliged
  5. race — the arms race
  6. track — a song
  7. hand — in cards
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. track — a path
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. snap — to click
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — clothes
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. track — to keep track
  24. race — humankind

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com