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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. press — to push
  5. race — a contest
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — the season
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. shower — rain
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bore — to tire
  14. race — the arms race
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wake — a trail
  17. press — newspapers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. shower — to wash
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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