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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — hasty
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rash — a series
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. race — a contest

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