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

Word bank: chest · bulb · press · rule · arm · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chest — a box
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — a publisher
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — boats
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. press — to push
  12. chest — of your body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — government
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law

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