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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: foot · rest · temple · press · arm · stand

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rest — a break
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. press — to push
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. press — newspapers
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — to bear
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rest — what's left
  18. temple — side of the head

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