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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. staff — employees
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ground — a position
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — the earth
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. race — the arms race
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. press — a publisher
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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