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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: drill · safe · race · mark · snap · rush · kick · charge

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. drill — a practice
  5. charge — a price
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. race — humankind
  13. snap — to click
  14. mark — a grade
  15. kick — in football
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rush — hurry
  19. drill — the tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. drill — army training
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — a contest

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