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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. race — humankind
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fall — to drop
  5. can — a tin
  6. race — a contest
  7. press — to push
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fall — the season
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. court — of a king
  13. race — the arms race
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — for sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. court — of law
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lean — to bend

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