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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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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 · object · fall · press · cell · dip · key · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — an aim
  5. press — to push
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cell — a phone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. object — to protest
  13. cell — in biology
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. object — a thing
  19. press — a publisher
  20. key — in music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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