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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. race — a contest
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. race — the arms race
  9. land — ground
  10. press — a publisher
  11. race — humankind
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — to push
  18. land — a country
  19. mate — a partner
  20. press — newspapers
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rock — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mate — to breed

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