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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pass — a permit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. march — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — tied together
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. shower — rain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. march — the month

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