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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. spell — a short time
  3. press — a publisher
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. spell — magic
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. press — newspapers
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fork — in a road
  17. land — a country
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. land — to come down
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — ground
  24. spell — letters

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