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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: season · wave · chip · foot · mate · bay · tube · race

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. chip — for betting
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. race — humankind
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. race — a contest
  12. tube — the underground
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mate — a partner
  18. season — in sport
  19. mate — a friend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. season — of the year
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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