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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: net · dip · ball · toast · wind · chip · straw · race

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ball — a dance
  7. toast — bread
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — in sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. race — humankind
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. net — after costs
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ball — a great time
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. race — a contest
  23. net — for catching
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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