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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mug — a face
  6. race — a contest
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. season — in sport
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chip — for betting
  11. season — of the year
  12. rule — a law
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. race — humankind
  15. rule — government
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — in an idiom

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