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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 116 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: race · kick · saw · chip · ball · spell · wave · mouse

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — magic
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chip — to eat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. race — a contest
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. race — the arms race
  18. spell — letters
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ball — a dance
  22. race — humankind
  23. kick — in football
  24. mouse — for a computer

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