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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. press — to push
  5. row — a line
  6. key — the most important part
  7. press — a publisher
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — army training
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. row — to paddle
  14. charge — in control
  15. key — in music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. charge — electricity
  18. press — newspapers
  19. charge — a price
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hand — in cards
  24. drill — the tool

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