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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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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. race — humankind
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stock — goods
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — electric
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — a container
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. current — of water
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stock — shares
  19. hand — help
  20. face — part of the head
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — a contest
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — in a computer

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