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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — the arms race
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. press — to push
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — a publisher
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. race — a contest
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. prune — to trim

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