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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cell — in biology
  3. race — humankind
  4. cell — a phone
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. vault — a safe
  11. press — to push
  12. race — a contest
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rule — a law
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. degree — from a university
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rule — government
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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