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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. race — the arms race
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. board — to get on
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — a committee
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — to eat
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. board — a flat piece

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