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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. race — humankind
  3. press — newspapers
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. race — a contest
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. game — wild animals
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lean — to bend
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — thin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — a match
  19. file — a tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stand — to bear
  22. race — the arms race
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. press — a publisher

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