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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. deal — to handle
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — boats
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chest — a box
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cap — of ice
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. craft — a skill
  24. deal — an agreement

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