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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — certain
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bound — obliged
  15. swing — to play on
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — the arms race

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