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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. present — there
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. press — to push
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fork — in a road
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. present — a gift
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. present — the time now
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fork — a garden 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