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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rule — a law
  6. press — a publisher
  7. race — humankind
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rule — government
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — to eat
  21. current — of water
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. race — a contest

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