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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — humankind
  11. toast — bread
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. press — to push
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cell — in biology
  23. press — newspapers
  24. toast — the most admired

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