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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — in music
  5. race — a contest
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. press — newspapers
  10. squash — the sport
  11. file — a line of people
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. file — a tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. race — the arms race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. press — to push
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a document

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