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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. season — in sport
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. press — a publisher
  12. season — of the year
  13. prune — to trim
  14. race — humankind
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. race — a contest
  20. press — newspapers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — to go away

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