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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — in sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — government
  12. sharp — clever
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — after costs
  16. race — humankind
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — a publisher

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