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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: press · coach · content · plane · straw · lash · scale · arm

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. content — the amount
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. scale — size or range
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. content — happy
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. press — a publisher
  16. plane — a tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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