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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. swing — in golf
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mark — a trace
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. race — a contest
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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