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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. press — to push
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bore — to drill
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bore — to tire
  17. branch — a division
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — music
  24. bore — gave birth

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