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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. clip — for paper
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. clip — a video
  7. face — to point toward
  8. press — a publisher
  9. face — to confront
  10. court — of law
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. court — of a king
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — to push
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lean — to rest against

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