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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. charge — in control
  3. press — a publisher
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. press — newspapers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lie — to recline
  10. prune — to trim
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — a price
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — to push
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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