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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. object — to protest
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. last — to go on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — a thing
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. last — final
  10. tear — to rip
  11. race — a contest
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — newspapers
  14. race — the arms race
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — humankind
  17. tear — from crying
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — finally
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — for a hammer

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