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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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Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cell — a phone
  4. race — humankind
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — newspapers
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. race — the arms race
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — in biology
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — to push
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. press — a publisher
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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