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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. swing — in golf
  3. press — newspapers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. suit — in cards
  14. press — to push
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. race — humankind
  20. kick — in football
  21. race — a contest
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. suit — clothes
  24. race — the arms race

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