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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. last — final
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. suit — clothes
  10. press — to push
  11. suit — in cards
  12. press — newspapers
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. last — finally
  16. race — a contest
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — a division
  20. last — to go on
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. race — the arms race
  23. object — to protest
  24. wound — an injury

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