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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. race — a contest
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chip — for betting
  8. root — the cause
  9. press — to push
  10. shower — rain
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. press — newspapers
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. root — of a word
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chip — to eat
  24. straw — dry grass

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