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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. press — to push
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. press — a publisher
  6. field — farmland
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. field — a subject
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — to get on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chest — a box
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. field — for sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chest — of your body
  24. board — a committee

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