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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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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — a contest
  7. press — to push
  8. present — there
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. present — the time now
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — newspapers
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — a gift
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hand — help
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. saw — the tool

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