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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — low music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bass — the fish
  21. scale — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — for weighing
  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