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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. spell — letters
  3. chip — to eat
  4. race — a contest
  5. spell — magic
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. clip — a video
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — for betting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bass — low music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. race — humankind
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — a short time

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