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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: ball · calf · pass · firm · trunk · pop · arm · press

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pop — soda
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ball — a dance
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. press — to push
  9. firm — a company
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. firm — steady
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. pop — to visit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. arm — part of the body

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