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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · scale · chest · pit · fan · rock · press · arm

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. press — to push
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chest — a box
  12. scale — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — a publisher
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. scale — size or range
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pit — in a race
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. branch — a division
  24. fan — a supporter

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