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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — for a lock
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — thin
  19. key — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lean — to bend

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