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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mug — to rob
  4. staff — a stick
  5. press — to push
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mug — a face
  13. press — a publisher
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — a cup
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. press — newspapers
  24. arm — a part of something

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