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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — a publisher
  4. race — humankind
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. race — a contest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — to keep track
  24. press — newspapers

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