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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — a hat
  6. field — a subject
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. press — a publisher
  10. field — farmland
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. drill — a practice
  18. press — to push
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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