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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ground — the earth
  9. press — a publisher
  10. swing — to play on
  11. charge — electricity
  12. swing — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — ground
  18. press — to push
  19. land — a country
  20. ground — crushed
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lie — to recline
  23. swing — in golf
  24. land — to come down

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