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

Word bank: deal · shower · race · cue · field · press · lash · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. race — the arms race
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cue — a signal
  5. field — a subject
  6. race — humankind
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cue — for pool
  12. field — for sport
  13. press — to push
  14. shower — to wash
  15. press — newspapers
  16. field — farmland
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. race — a contest
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lash — an eyelash

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