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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — in a race
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pit — a hole
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — rain
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. root — the cause
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bound — certain
  24. press — to push

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