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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. object — an aim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pound — a weight
  14. hand — in cards
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — a publisher
  21. race — a contest
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. race — the arms race

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