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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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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: mouse · stand · last · wake · arm · swing · press · ground

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. press — a publisher
  16. last — to go on
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. press — to push
  21. ground — a position
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ground — crushed
  24. press — newspapers

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