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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: snap · cabinet · chip · race · lash · bank · track · rule

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. track — a path
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. snap — to click
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — a contest
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — a song
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. race — humankind
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chip — to eat
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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