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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — a stone
  3. race — a contest
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. race — humankind
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chair — a leader
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rash — a series
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — to push
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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