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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. race — humankind
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. race — a contest

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