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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. march — the month
  3. race — a contest
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — humankind
  9. press — to push
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chest — a box
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. press — a publisher
  17. march — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fall — to drop
  20. swing — music
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rush — hurry
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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