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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 120 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: snap · squash · staff · bore · race · fine · mate · ball

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bore — to drill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — all right
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mate — to breed
  10. squash — to crush
  11. race — humankind
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mate — a friend
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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