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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. row — to paddle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mark — a grade
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. row — a line
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rash — a series

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