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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 120 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: deal · ground · arm · cell · sharp · press · kick · mug

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cell — in biology
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cell — a phone
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mug — a face
  7. press — a publisher
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ground — a position
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — clever
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — a cup

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