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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 124 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kid — child
  7. cue — a signal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mark — a grade
  10. date — the fruit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mark — a trace
  14. press — to push
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. press — newspapers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. date — on the calendar

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