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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · object · lash · pass · fall · race · pit · press

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pit — a hole
  8. race — humankind
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. object — to protest
  14. press — to push
  15. object — a thing
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fall — the season
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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