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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: safe · race · snap · game · deal · board · wake · mate

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. race — humankind
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mate — a friend
  8. game — wild animals
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. race — a contest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mate — a partner
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a match

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