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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. race — humankind
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. firm — decided
  5. toast — bread
  6. press — to push
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — a publisher
  10. kid — child
  11. firm — steady
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. race — a contest
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. race — the arms race

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