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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
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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: ball · press · rest · lean · hand · temple · squash · arm

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — to bend
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — in cards
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ball — a dance
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lean — thin
  19. squash — the sport
  20. press — to push
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — help
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rest — what's left

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