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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: can · squash · ball · arm · foot · mine · race · press

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. can — to be able to
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. race — a contest
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mine — for digging
  11. press — to push
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ball — a dance
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. foot — a measure
  20. squash — the sport
  21. race — the arms race
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. foot — the bottom
  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