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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a song
  9. tear — from crying
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tear — to rip
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pound — a weight
  16. race — humankind
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. race — a contest
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a path

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