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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — in cards
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. race — the arms race
  10. chair — a leader
  11. snap — to click
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chip — to eat
  18. season — of the year
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chip — for betting

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