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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — to tire
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. press — to push
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chip — for betting
  14. craft — boats
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. key — in music
  19. bore — to drill
  20. race — a contest
  21. row — a line
  22. key — for a lock
  23. row — to paddle
  24. craft — a skill

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