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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · land · rash · stick · march · bore · race · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. race — a contest
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. land — ground
  6. press — to push
  7. bore — to tire
  8. press — newspapers
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rash — a series
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. march — the month
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. race — the arms race
  21. land — to come down
  22. rash — hasty
  23. press — a publisher
  24. march — music

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