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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. face — to confront
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mug — to rob
  7. race — a contest
  8. wound — an injury
  9. shower — to wash
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mug — a cup
  15. sharp — clever
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — for betting
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — a face
  23. race — humankind
  24. bulb — for light

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