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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: kick · scale · present · press · nail · arm

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. present — there
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kick — in football
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. press — to push
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — newspapers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — a part of something

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