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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chip — to eat
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. race — the arms race
  11. press — newspapers
  12. can — to be able to
  13. snap — to click
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wake — a trail
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. race — humankind

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