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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — for paper
  5. press — newspapers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. clip — a video
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. clip — to cut
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. press — a publisher

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