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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: bay · press · rock · swing · cell · nail · arm · clip

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. clip — for paper
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. swing — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. press — to push
  10. cell — a phone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. swing — in golf
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. press — newspapers
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — to play on
  18. clip — a video
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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