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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — a thing
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. file — a line of people
  6. object — an aim
  7. season — in sport
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — the animal
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. season — of the year
  17. object — to protest
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. content — happy
  20. press — to push
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bear — 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