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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. file — a document
  3. sharp — clever
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. file — a tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a line of people
  11. clip — a video
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. roll — a list
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. clip — to cut
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bear — the animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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