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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · race · chip · last · fall · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. race — the arms race
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. last — finally
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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