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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. press — to push
  8. kick — in football
  9. file — a tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a line of people
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. press — newspapers
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. track — a path
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. file — a document
  24. track — a song

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