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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. press — to push
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. face — part of the head
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to point toward
  22. press — newspapers
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. face — to confront

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