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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — the arms race
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. race — a contest
  15. wound — an injury
  16. race — humankind
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — to push
  20. fall — the season
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fall — to drop

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