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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: bulb · arm · bound · roll · chest · mug · rest · press

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — what's left
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. press — to push
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bound — certain
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — tied together
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. arm — a part of something

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