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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. race — a contest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mate — a partner
  6. race — humankind
  7. swing — music
  8. fall — the season
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chip — to eat
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — for betting
  14. face — to confront
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mate — to breed
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. swing — in golf
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mate — a friend

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