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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. suit — in cards
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — to push
  5. lean — to bend
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kid — to tease
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — a publisher
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — child
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lean — thin

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