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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. court — of law
  7. mug — a cup
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. press — to push
  11. club — a group
  12. mug — to rob
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. foot — a measure
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — moving air
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — for dancing

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