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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fine — all right
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cold — an illness
  7. club — for golf
  8. race — a contest
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. race — the arms race
  11. club — a group
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cold — not warm
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chip — for betting
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — humankind
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fine — high quality

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