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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. press — to push
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. race — the arms race
  5. degree — an amount
  6. press — newspapers
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. kick — in football
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. degree — temperature
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. race — humankind

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