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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: race · current · straw · game · last · mug · chip · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. last — finally
  4. game — wild animals
  5. last — final
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. current — of water
  9. chip — to eat
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. game — a match
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mug — a cup
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mug — a face
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. race — a contest
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mug — to rob
  24. current — happening now

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