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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fall — the season
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fine — all right
  10. row — a line
  11. mate — to breed
  12. press — a publisher
  13. row — to paddle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mate — a partner
  17. press — to push
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pit — in a race
  24. arm — part of the body

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