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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mug — a cup
  8. game — wild animals
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mug — a face
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — a match
  14. craft — a skill
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. squash — to crush
  21. press — newspapers
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. craft — boats
  24. arm — a part of something

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