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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — a container
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — the tool

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