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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. press — to push
  6. tube — the underground
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tube — a container

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