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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. press — to push
  4. band — a ring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spring — the season
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rest — a break
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spring — a coil
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. press — a publisher
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — of water
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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