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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bank — for money
  8. cold — not warm
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bank — of a river
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bass — low music
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lie — to recline
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  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