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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 120 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: chip · straw · race · craft · bark · tear · cold · suit

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cold — an illness
  9. craft — a skill
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tear — from crying
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. tear — from crying
  16. race — a contest
  17. chip — for betting
  18. race — humankind
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chip — to eat
  21. craft — boats
  22. cold — not warm
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bark — to shout

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