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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. press — to push
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — to bend
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. race — humankind
  15. press — a publisher
  16. drill — the tool
  17. race — a contest
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lean — thin
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. land — to come down
  24. drill — army training

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