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

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. can — to be able to
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — a stick
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. staff — employees
  15. net — for catching
  16. press — to push
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. press — newspapers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. drill — a practice
  22. net — in sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — a tin

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