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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. row — a line
  5. key — for a lock
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — hasty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. row — to paddle
  20. press — to push
  21. key — in music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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