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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hand — in cards
  8. current — of water
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — electric
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fork — in a road
  21. press — to push
  22. current — happening now
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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