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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: arm · ground · press · clip · swing · season · board · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — in sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — a publisher
  9. clip — to cut
  10. press — newspapers
  11. clip — for paper
  12. swing — to play on
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. clip — a video
  18. press — to push
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. board — to get on

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