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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: saw · race · bulb · wound · rock · wake · press · present

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rock — a stone
  4. press — a publisher
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. present — a gift
  11. race — a contest
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — music
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. present — there
  20. race — humankind
  21. present — the time now
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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