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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bark — to shout
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. race — the arms race
  6. suit — clothes
  7. press — to push
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. fork — in a road
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hand — help
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stand — to bear
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hand — in cards

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