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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. race — a contest
  4. land — to come down
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. land — a country
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — ground
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chip — for betting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. race — humankind
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — the arms race
  24. saw — the tool

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