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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. press — to push
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. arm — part of the body

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