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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. chest — of your body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. object — to protest
  10. press — to push
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chest — a box
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chest — of your body
  18. object — an aim

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