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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. race — the arms race
  4. root — the cause
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lean — thin
  8. race — humankind
  9. press — a publisher
  10. squash — to crush
  11. press — newspapers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a plant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. root — of a word
  16. rest — what's left
  17. press — to push
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rest — a break
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rest — what's left
  23. race — a contest
  24. lean — to bend

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