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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. race — humankind
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bass — the fish
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. race — a contest
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bass — low music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — to push
  15. last — final
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — a trace
  22. swing — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. last — to go on

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