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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 · bowl · foot · lean · bulb · arm · capital · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bear — the animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — newspapers
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. capital — a city
  22. press — to push
  23. capital — money
  24. foot — part of the body

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