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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: last · foot · arm · press · land · swing · charge · jam

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. charge — a price
  3. last — finally
  4. press — newspapers
  5. land — a country
  6. charge — electricity
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. land — to come down
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. swing — music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — a publisher
  15. foot — a measure
  16. land — ground
  17. last — final
  18. swing — in golf
  19. press — to push
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. last — to go on
  22. charge — in control
  23. swing — to play on
  24. jam — a tight spot

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