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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — in cards
  5. race — humankind
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lie — to recline
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cap — a hat
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cap — of ice

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