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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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 — humankind
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mug — a face
  4. race — a contest
  5. press — newspapers
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cell — in biology
  9. face — to confront
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — to push
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pass — a permit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. patient — a sick person
  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