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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to sink
  9. object — a thing
  10. march — the month
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — an aim
  17. march — the month
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. object — to protest
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fan — a supporter

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