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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ground — a position
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — what's left
  5. race — a contest
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. press — to push
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — low music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. race — humankind
  24. ground — the earth

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