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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. press — to push
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bass — low music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bear — the animal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. press — a publisher

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