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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: roll · fall · deal · object · race · staff · stick · snap

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. snap — to click
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fall — the season
  6. roll — a cake
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. staff — employees
  14. race — a contest
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — a stick
  17. roll — a list
  18. object — an aim
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — to handle
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — a thing
  24. race — humankind

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