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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: rest · racket · spring · mug · press · arm · season · chest

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. press — a publisher
  4. season — of the year
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — the season
  11. press — newspapers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spring — a coil
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — of water
  17. press — to push
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mug — to rob
  24. racket — a loud noise

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