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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. press — to push
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. race — the arms race
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ground — the earth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. ground — a position
  23. press — a publisher
  24. file — a line of people

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