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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — the season
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fork — in a road
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lean — thin

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