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

Word bank: rock · arm · mouse · mate · fork · press · kick · ruler

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. press — to push
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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