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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. race — humankind
  4. press — newspapers
  5. race — a contest
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. row — to paddle
  8. press — a publisher
  9. swing — to play on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rest — a break
  13. kick — in football
  14. row — a line
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. press — to push
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bear — the animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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