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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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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — a law
  12. mine — for digging
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bass — the fish
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. race — a contest
  23. press — to push
  24. race — the arms race

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