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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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Word bank
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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: cap · hand · bay · wave · race · chip · season · can

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. race — a contest
  3. hand — help
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — in sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. can — to be able to
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — humankind
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cap — a lid
  20. season — of the year
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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