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

Word bank: mouse · capital · safe · race · object · lean · cold · chip

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. race — humankind
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. object — to protest
  11. race — a contest
  12. cold — an illness
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — an aim
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — a thing
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chip — for betting
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. capital — a city

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