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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
468
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: leaves · lash · court · chip · arm · roll · cabinet · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. roll — a cake
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — to eat
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — a list
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. court — of law
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — of a king
  22. press — to push
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cabinet — ministers

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