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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · present · arm · press · game · lash · hide · date

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. present — the time now
  14. date — the fruit
  15. current — of water
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. game — wild animals
  19. press — to push
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. game — a match
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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