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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. race — humankind
  3. spring — the season
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lie — to recline
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spring — of water
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rock — a stone
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spring — a coil
  17. race — a contest
  18. rock — music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fork — in a road
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — to push

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