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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — to push
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. row — a line
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spell — letters
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — a division
  24. arm — a part of something

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