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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. press — to push
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. board — to get on
  12. suit — in cards
  13. perch — the fish
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bark — to shout
  23. press — newspapers
  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