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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. press — a publisher
  3. object — an aim
  4. race — humankind
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pop — to visit
  11. vault — a safe
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. race — the arms race
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pop — music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. object — to protest
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pop — soda
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cue — a signal
  24. press — to push

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