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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: firm · wake · race · rule · chip · cabinet · object · tear

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. object — to protest
  3. race — humankind
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tear — from crying
  8. race — a contest
  9. rule — a law
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. firm — steady
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — decided
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — a company
  24. cabinet — ministers

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