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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — of water
  4. drill — a practice
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a great time
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. current — electric
  14. drill — the tool
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lie — to recline
  19. drill — army training
  20. press — to push
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. race — a contest

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