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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · bowl · chair · mouse · game · mate · press · arm

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a partner
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. press — to push
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. press — newspapers

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