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

Word bank: spring · mug · snap · race · dip · club · root · calf

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. race — the arms race
  3. club — for golf
  4. spring — the season
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. dip — to sink
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spring — a coil
  10. race — humankind
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mug — a face
  17. club — a group
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. race — a contest
  22. mug — a cup
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. club — for dancing

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