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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kick — in football
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mate — a partner
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chip — to eat
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wax — for sculpting

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