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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hand — help
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — in cards
  7. race — a contest
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — certain
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wound — an injury
  14. race — humankind
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — obliged
  21. suit — in cards
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hand — part of the body

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