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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — to push
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chair — a leader
  23. race — the arms race
  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