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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. race — the arms race
  3. press — a publisher
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. object — to protest
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. race — a contest
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. object — a thing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. race — humankind
  22. object — an aim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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