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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. press — to push
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. press — a publisher
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ground — crushed
  11. plane — a tool
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. roll — a list
  18. game — a match
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. press — newspapers

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