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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. race — the arms race
  5. club — for golf
  6. lean — to bend
  7. press — a publisher
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — a contest
  11. lean — thin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a ring
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — to push
  20. club — for dancing
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. bear — the animal
  24. club — a group

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