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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. squash — the sport
  9. current — happening now
  10. hand — in cards
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — help
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bound — certain
  24. squash — to crush

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