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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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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: row · bulb · race · deal · mouse · hide · chip · snap

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — humankind
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — to handle
  7. snap — to click
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. row — a line
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. race — a contest
  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