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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mate — a partner
  6. drill — army training
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mate — a friend
  10. drill — the tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mate — to breed
  13. press — to push
  14. snap — to click
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pop — soda
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. race — humankind
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. dip — to dunk

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