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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bass — low music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — boats
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cold — an illness
  10. race — humankind
  11. lean — thin
  12. press — to push
  13. cold — not warm
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — to bend
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. race — a contest
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lean — to rest against

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