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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: face · foot · clip · hide · bank · bass · press · arm

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bass — the fish
  5. face — to point toward
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bass — low music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — a measure
  21. face — to confront
  22. bank — of a river
  23. face — part of the head
  24. foot — the bottom

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