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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. press — a publisher
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — to push
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bat — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — newspapers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — of the leg

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