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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. last — final
  10. face — part of the head
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. race — a contest
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. face — to confront
  23. last — to go on
  24. face — to point toward

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