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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — for betting
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. vault — a safe
  16. race — a contest
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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