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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hand — help
  11. fine — all right
  12. race — the arms race
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — in cards
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. race — a contest
  23. wind — moving air
  24. press — to push

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