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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: calf · ball · press · temple · cold · arm · suit · coach

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cold — an illness
  3. ball — a great time
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cold — not warm
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. press — newspapers
  20. suit — to fit
  21. press — to push
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. calf — a young animal

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