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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. staff — employees
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fall — the season
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — a partner
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. swing — music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. press — a publisher
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fan — to cool the air

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