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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. object — an aim
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. object — to protest
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. cap — a hat
  14. race — humankind
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — a publisher
  18. object — a thing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — a trail

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