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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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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: chest · bulb · press · rule · arm · craft · pass · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. press — to push
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — a thing
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. craft — a skill
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rule — government
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. arm — part of the body

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