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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. race — a contest
  3. cap — of ice
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. race — humankind
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rule — government
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — to turn a key

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