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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chip — for betting
  8. race — a contest
  9. chip — to eat
  10. race — humankind
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fall — the season
  15. degree — an amount
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pop — soda
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lash — to lash out

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