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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cold — not warm
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. firm — steady
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. firm — decided
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pit — in a race
  15. kick — in football
  16. press — newspapers
  17. firm — a company
  18. toast — bread
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. press — to push
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. roll — a cake
  23. kick — a thrill
  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