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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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Word bank
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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: wound · mine · arm · firm · rock · pit · cell · press

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. firm — steady
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — to push
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. press — a publisher
  19. firm — decided
  20. press — newspapers
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. firm — a company
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rock — to move gently

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