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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bat — the animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. sharp — clever
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fall — the season
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bass — low music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — to push
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bass — the fish

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