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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rule — a law
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. clip — a video
  16. root — the cause
  17. race — humankind
  18. mate — a friend
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. race — a contest
  23. clip — to cut
  24. press — newspapers

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