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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fork — in a road
  4. race — a contest
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — newspapers
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mug — a face
  19. race — humankind
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — to push
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mug — a cup
  24. press — a publisher

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