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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cell — a phone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — newspapers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fine — all right
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. craft — a skill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — boats

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