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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.

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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: chest · bank · rash · key · firm · arm · press · swing

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — in music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — in golf
  10. press — a publisher
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. key — the most important part
  13. press — newspapers
  14. firm — decided
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — a series
  18. swing — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — a company
  21. chest — a box
  22. bank — for money
  23. press — to push
  24. chest — of your 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