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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for golf
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — to confront
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. press — to push
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. face — to point toward
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chest — a box
  21. club — a group
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. face — part of the head

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