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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — to push
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pitch — completely
  21. press — newspapers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. press — a publisher

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