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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 120 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: chair · net · spring · arm · press · sharp · mouse · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. net — after costs
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — a leader

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