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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. press — newspapers
  3. toast — bread
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. press — to push
  12. squash — the sport
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — to eat
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — child
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — a contest
  24. squash — to crush

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