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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rush — hurry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cap — of ice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — for sport
  11. race — humankind
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. press — to push
  15. field — farmland
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — newspapers
  21. race — a contest
  22. cap — a hat
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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