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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — a container
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tube — the underground
  13. race — the arms race
  14. chip — to eat
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — to sink
  18. race — humankind
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mug — a cup

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