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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · craft · cabinet · track · arm · press · cold · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — a path
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — newspapers
  8. track — a song
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — to push
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cold — an illness

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