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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. land — a country
  6. staff — a stick
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. land — ground
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — a contest
  12. object — an aim
  13. race — humankind
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chip — for betting
  17. face — to confront
  18. cap — of ice
  19. land — to come down
  20. mark — a grade
  21. object — to protest
  22. face — to point toward
  23. object — a thing
  24. mark — a trace

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