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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. race — a contest
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. last — finally
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. last — to go on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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