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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — of ice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fine — all right
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bass — low music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. press — to push

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