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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: wax · jam · arm · toast · hide · press · hand · field

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — help
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. field — farmland
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. field — for sport
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. field — a subject
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. press — newspapers
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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