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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: rock · press · toast · hand · arm · track · squash · kick

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. hand — help
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. toast — bread
  8. squash — the sport
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. track — a path
  14. hand — in cards
  15. squash — to crush
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rock — music
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. kick — in football
  24. rock — to move gently

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