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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. press — newspapers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spring — a coil
  14. press — to push
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — the season
  18. face — to confront
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spring — of water
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — a part of something

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