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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. race — humankind
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — for betting
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cold — an illness
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fall — the season

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