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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. race — the arms race
  6. spell — magic
  7. shower — rain
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — letters
  15. cold — an illness
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — to bear
  20. race — a contest
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. race — humankind
  23. chip — for betting
  24. shower — to wash

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