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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: wound · pass · mug · chest · spell · stand · press · arm

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spell — letters
  12. chest — a box
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mug — to rob
  22. press — to push
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pass — to spend time

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