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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: bass · snap · press · foot · arm · chest · roll · mouse

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. roll — a cake
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — a publisher
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bass — low music
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. snap — to click
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. roll — a list
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — the 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