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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. press — a publisher
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rash — a series
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — goods
  24. racket — a loud noise

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