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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. press — newspapers
  6. object — an aim
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cold — an illness
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. plane — a tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — to protest
  13. drill — a practice
  14. press — a publisher
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. drill — army training
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. object — a thing
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — of a tree

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