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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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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: roll · lean · stand · race · bore · ball · snap · fine

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. roll — a list
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ball — a great time
  9. roll — a cake
  10. race — humankind
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. race — a contest
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fine — all right
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lean — thin

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