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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — a path
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. can — a tin
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. track — a song
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. can — a tin
  19. press — a publisher
  20. track — to keep track
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — rain
  23. press — newspapers
  24. sharp — clever

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