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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: press · face · last · bat · coach · foot · rock · arm

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. last — final
  6. press — newspapers
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — to go on
  12. face — to point toward
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. face — to confront
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. last — finally
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. arm — a part of something
  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