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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 116 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. race — the arms race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. season — in sport
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. kid — to tease
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. capital — a city
  11. press — a publisher
  12. capital — money
  13. season — of the year
  14. land — ground
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. race — a contest
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. object — an aim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — child
  21. press — to push
  22. land — to come down
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — a country

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