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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pop — soda
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — steady
  6. rock — music
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chip — for betting
  10. clip — a video
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. tear — from crying
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — a company
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. race — humankind
  24. clip — for paper

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