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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: pound · race · calf · wake · fan · snap · pass · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. race — humankind
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. snap — to click
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. calf — a young animal

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