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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. press — to push
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cold — an illness
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cold — not warm
  11. race — a contest
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. race — humankind
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wake — a trail
  23. toast — bread
  24. last — finally

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