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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. row — to paddle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a match
  6. craft — a skill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. craft — boats
  16. press — to push
  17. kick — in football
  18. row — a line
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — a publisher
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — a quarrel

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