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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. press — newspapers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. press — a publisher
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ground — crushed
  11. press — to push
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. can — a tin
  18. ground — a position

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