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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. field — farmland
  6. press — to push
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. race — humankind
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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