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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. race — the arms race
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — music
  9. race — humankind
  10. game — a match
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spell — magic
  13. game — wild animals
  14. race — a contest
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bat — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. press — newspapers

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