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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: race · row · trunk · snap · staff · firm · hide · content

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. firm — decided
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. row — a line
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — a company
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. firm — steady
  24. snap — to click

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