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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — the time now
  8. press — newspapers
  9. toast — bread
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mate — to breed
  12. present — a gift
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. present — there
  15. mate — a friend
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — a partner
  18. press — to push
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. shower — rain
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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