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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. press — a publisher
  4. object — a thing
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. race — humankind
  7. bass — low music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. race — a contest
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. march — music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. safe — out of danger

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