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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bore — to drill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. race — humankind
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ground — crushed
  16. race — a contest
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ground — a position
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  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