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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stock — goods
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. race — a contest
  11. press — to push
  12. race — humankind
  13. ground — a position
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. season — in sport
  22. stock — shares
  23. season — of the year
  24. fan — a supporter

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