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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 120 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pit — a hole
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — to push
  22. rest — what's left
  23. press — a publisher
  24. arm — part of the body

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