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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. scale — in music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wind — moving air
  15. press — to push
  16. dip — to sink
  17. race — humankind
  18. scale — size or range
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fork — to eat with

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