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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.

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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. pit — a hole
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. race — the arms race
  6. press — a publisher
  7. shower — to wash
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — in a race
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. race — a contest
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — rain
  23. race — humankind
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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