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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. press — to push
  3. race — the arms race
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pit — a hole
  6. object — to protest
  7. press — a publisher
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. fall — the season
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. press — newspapers
  17. content — happy
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pit — in a race
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

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