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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. season — in sport
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. press — a publisher
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. press — to push
  9. capital — a city
  10. shower — rain
  11. present — the time now
  12. season — of the year
  13. present — a gift
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. press — newspapers
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — to wash
  23. present — there
  24. straw — a straw man

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