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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wound — an injury
  3. charge — in control
  4. file — a document
  5. race — the arms race
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. file — a tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — a price
  16. race — humankind
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. race — a contest
  19. press — newspapers
  20. kick — in football
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. charge — electricity

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