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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: rock · cold · scale · stand · press · rest · arm · last

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. press — a publisher
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — to push
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. scale — size or range
  14. last — finally
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — to go on
  17. rest — a break
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — final
  23. scale — in music
  24. rock — music

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