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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rock — a stone
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fine — all right
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. race — a contest
  19. chest — a box
  20. roll — a list
  21. race — humankind
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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