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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tear — from crying
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. race — humankind
  8. press — to push
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. race — the arms race
  11. tear — to rip
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. band — a music group
  16. craft — boats
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. band — a ring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. race — a contest
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a rubber band

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