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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — to push
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. swing — in golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stand — to bear
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. race — a contest
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. race — humankind

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