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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. press — to push
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. file — a line of people
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. file — a tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. file — a document

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