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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: fine · club · temple · deal · press · squash · chest · arm

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fine — high quality
  8. press — newspapers
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chest — a box
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. club — for golf
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chest — of your body
  24. club — a group

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