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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. press — to push
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — a publisher
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hand — in cards
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bound — certain

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