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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · content · rash · fork · coach · hide · arm · press

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. content — the amount
  6. scale — in music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — a series
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. press — to push
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. content — happy
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rash — hasty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. scale — for weighing

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