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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spell — letters
  3. mug — a face
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chip — for betting
  7. band — a music group
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. snap — to click
  15. spell — a short time
  16. race — the arms race
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mug — to rob
  20. band — a ring
  21. race — a contest
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mug — a cup

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