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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitch — completely
  7. race — humankind
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — a box
  11. race — the arms race
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chest — of your body
  15. press — to push
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rest — what's left
  18. press — a publisher
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. press — newspapers
  22. key — for a lock
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitch — a sports field

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