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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. shower — rain
  4. track — a path
  5. race — a contest
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. present — there
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chip — to eat
  11. present — the time now
  12. race — humankind
  13. track — to keep track
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — a gift
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fall — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — to drop

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