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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. sharp — clever
  4. press — to push
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fine — all right
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — the animal

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