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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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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: roll · present · wound · race · march · bay · press · shower

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. race — the arms race
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. wound — an injury
  6. shower — rain
  7. press — a publisher
  8. race — humankind
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. present — there
  13. wound — an injury
  14. march — the month
  15. present — the time now
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. shower — to wash
  20. march — music
  21. present — a gift
  22. march — the month
  23. race — a contest
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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