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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. press — newspapers
  4. race — humankind
  5. wind — moving air
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. press — a publisher
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rash — hasty
  13. track — a path
  14. band — a music group
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. track — a song
  19. press — to push
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. band — a ring
  22. rash — a series
  23. wind — moving air
  24. leaves — lets stay

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