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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. suit — to fit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. race — a contest
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. squash — to crush
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — all right
  16. chip — for betting
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. suit — clothes
  23. shower — rain
  24. chip — in a computer

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