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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. press — a publisher
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rest — a break
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pop — soda
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chair — a leader
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — to visit

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