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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bound — certain
  3. firm — steady
  4. chip — for betting
  5. race — a contest
  6. firm — decided
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pit — in a race
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — a company
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lie — an untruth

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