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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. press — to push
  9. key — in music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. board — to get on
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. board — a committee
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. key — for a lock
  23. degree — from a university
  24. board — a flat piece

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