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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. object — a thing
  4. season — of the year
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bat — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. season — in sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — a contest
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — to push
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. press — newspapers

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