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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · press · roll · bat · coach · court · present · lie

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — there
  5. court — of a king
  6. roll — a list
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. present — a gift
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — to recline
  20. press — to push
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — of law
  24. present — the time now

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