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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pop — soda
  6. race — humankind
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mate — a partner
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — to push
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. can — a tin

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