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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — for betting
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kid — child
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. race — humankind
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — in football
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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