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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: stick · snap · saw · chest · mouse · rush · race · pitch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. race — humankind
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. race — a contest
  16. snap — to click
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chest — a box
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rush — hurry
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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