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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: pit · wake · shower · can · stick · race · snap · kid

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. race — humankind
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — rain
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. shower — to wash
  18. kid — child
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. kid — to tease
  21. snap — to click
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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