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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: arm · chair · press · kick · snap · mug · craft · file

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. press — to push
  4. snap — to click
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mug — a face
  13. file — a document
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — in football
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kick — with a leg

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