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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. march — the month
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. present — there
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — to push
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cue — for pool
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — a hint
  15. present — a gift
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lean — thin
  19. cue — a signal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to bend
  23. march — music
  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