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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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Word bank
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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: rush · cap · snap · stick · fine · race · drill · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — a tin
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cap — of ice
  13. snap — to click
  14. cap — a hat
  15. race — a contest
  16. drill — a practice
  17. race — humankind
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — army training
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. drill — the tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. race — the arms race

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