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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 124 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. club — for golf
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wind — moving air
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. club — for dancing
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. club — a group
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. race — humankind
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kick — with a leg

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