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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: press · arm · mug · mate · foot · bulb · calf · cell

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cell — a phone
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mate — to breed
  15. press — to push
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mug — to rob
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mate — a friend

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