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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: race · spring · rock · patient · track · press · rest · kick

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. race — a contest
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rest — a break
  6. spring — of water
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — to push
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spring — the season
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. rock — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rest — what's left

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