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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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468
Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pit — a hole
  9. race — the arms race
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. press — to push
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. press — a publisher
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. race — humankind
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — child
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. race — a contest
  24. fan — a supporter

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