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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. race — humankind
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. swing — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chip — for betting
  12. key — in music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. race — a contest
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. race — the arms race
  20. dip — to sink
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. swing — to play on
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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