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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. dip — to sink
  3. race — the arms race
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. race — humankind
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. race — a contest
  8. wind — moving air
  9. press — to push
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. charge — in control
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. charge — electricity
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wind — moving air
  17. charge — a price
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ground — crushed
  23. press — a publisher
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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