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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chest — a box
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. press — a publisher
  14. firm — a company
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lean — to bend
  17. charge — a price
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chair — a leader
  20. firm — decided
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lean — thin
  24. firm — steady

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