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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. race — the arms race
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. chip — for betting
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chip — to eat
  14. capital — a city
  15. face — to point toward
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. face — part of the head
  20. capital — money
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. face — to confront

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