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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 116 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: race · kick · wave · bound · pitch · snap · row · safe

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. kick — in football
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bound — certain
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. row — a line
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bound — obliged

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