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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spell — a short time
  3. last — final
  4. swing — in golf
  5. press — to push
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chest — a box
  8. last — to go on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spell — magic
  11. last — finally
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — in cards
  16. swing — music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chest — of your body
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spell — letters
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. arm — 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