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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 124 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. race — the arms race
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. press — newspapers
  8. roll — a list
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. press — to push
  11. kid — child
  12. roll — a cake
  13. file — a tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. race — a contest
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. race — humankind
  24. prune — to trim

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