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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 124 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. file — a line of people
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. press — to push
  9. race — a contest
  10. file — a document
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pit — in a race
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. trunk — of a car

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