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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cue — a signal
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — a tin
  9. cold — not warm
  10. race — a contest
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cold — an illness
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cue — a hint
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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