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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chest — a box
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pound — a weight
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. race — humankind
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. clip — a video
  21. race — a contest
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pound — to hit hard

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