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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spring — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. race — humankind
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. press — to push
  16. race — a contest
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. spell — magic
  19. spring — a coil
  20. craft — boats
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — an explosive

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