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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · leaves · wound · fine · rock · press · row · stick

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fine — all right
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. rock — a stone
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rock — music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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