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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: content · wave · file · march · race · dip · rest · chip

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to sink
  5. content — happy
  6. march — music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. file — a document
  9. rest — a break
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. march — the month
  15. race — a contest
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — to eat
  18. file — a line of people
  19. race — the arms race
  20. file — a tool
  21. race — humankind
  22. content — the amount
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. march — the month

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