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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — in a road
  11. board — to get on
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — a committee
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. press — newspapers
  19. band — a music group
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. arm — part of the body

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