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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. land — a country
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. press — a publisher
  5. race — a contest
  6. craft — a skill
  7. land — ground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — humankind
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — for golf
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. craft — boats
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wind — moving air
  20. club — a group
  21. press — to push
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — to come down
  24. lash — an eyelash

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