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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: lie · lash · bay · game · press · pop · pitch · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pop — soda
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pop — to visit
  6. press — to push
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pop — music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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