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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: chip · lean · bear · race · kick · pop · object · fall

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — music
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fall — the season
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. race — humankind
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. object — to protest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. lean — thin
  21. race — a contest
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. object — a thing
  24. fall — to drop

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