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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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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: lash · coach · rash · rest · content · arm · press · snap

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. rash — a series
  4. content — the amount
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. press — to push
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rest — a break
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. press — a publisher
  16. snap — to click
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rash — hasty
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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