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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tube — a container
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rock — a stone
  7. march — the month
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rock — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cap — a lid
  13. march — the month
  14. press — a publisher
  15. race — humankind
  16. cap — a hat
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. race — a contest
  21. press — to push
  22. march — music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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