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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. press — newspapers
  4. swing — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. lean — thin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. date — the fruit
  17. swing — to play on
  18. row — a line
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lean — to bend
  24. prune — the fruit

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