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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — humankind
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. race — the arms race
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — a contest
  15. mug — a cup
  16. press — to push
  17. mug — a face
  18. press — newspapers
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mug — to rob
  24. dip — to sink

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