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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: leaves · last · press · arm · suit · firm · fan · bear

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. press — a publisher
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — to push
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — a company
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — final

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