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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bank — of a river
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — newspapers
  11. shower — rain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — army training
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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