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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rest — a break
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — to play on
  7. race — a contest
  8. fall — the season
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tear — to rip
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — from crying
  23. press — to push
  24. swing — music

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