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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: field · press · bowl · lash · arm · bass · saw · tube

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. field — for sport
  14. press — newspapers
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. tube — a container
  23. bass — the fish
  24. saw — the tool

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