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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: wake · mouse · tube · temple · net · race · sharp · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tube — a container
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. net — for catching
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. race — a contest
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. net — after costs
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wake — a trail
  14. sharp — clever
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mouse — for a computer

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