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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. kick — in football
  3. track — a path
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ground — the earth
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. press — newspapers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — to push
  22. branch — a division
  23. press — a publisher
  24. track — a song

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