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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: race · trunk · spell · squash · safe · band · snap · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spell — letters
  11. race — humankind
  12. spell — a short time
  13. race — a contest
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to click
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — magic
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a ring

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