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

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — goods
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cold — an illness
  7. press — to push
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. press — a publisher
  12. march — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cold — not warm
  18. chip — to eat
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — a face
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — shares

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