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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. press — to push
  5. last — final
  6. press — newspapers
  7. last — finally
  8. object — to protest
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. press — a publisher
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — a thing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. last — to go on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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