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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. present — there
  7. race — humankind
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. race — the arms race
  15. present — a gift
  16. rush — hurry
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. race — a contest
  22. present — the time now
  23. mouse — the animal
  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