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

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chest — a box
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stem — to come from
  16. court — of law
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. court — for sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — newspapers
  23. court — of a king
  24. foot — part of the body

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