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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. race — humankind
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — newspapers
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — of a word
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. press — to push
  12. root — the cause
  13. staff — a stick
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. kid — child
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. wound — an injury
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  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