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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. object — to protest
  3. rock — music
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — to eat
  9. object — an aim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — for betting
  13. clip — to cut
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. clip — a video
  19. object — a thing
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cabinet — ministers

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