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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. race — humankind
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tear — to rip
  5. race — a contest
  6. cold — not warm
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mug — a face
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cold — an illness
  14. chip — to eat
  15. scale — in music
  16. roll — a list
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. chip — for betting
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — size or range
  24. race — the arms race

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