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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: wake · press · swing · arm · rest · mug · dip · key

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rest — a break
  5. wake — a trail
  6. swing — to play on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. press — newspapers
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. swing — music
  14. press — to push
  15. mug — to rob
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. swing — in golf
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mug — a face
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. key — in music

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