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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — to come down
  7. present — a gift
  8. press — to push
  9. land — a country
  10. rock — a stone
  11. press — a publisher
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. present — there
  22. dip — to sink
  23. race — a contest
  24. land — ground

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