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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ball — a dance
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. press — to push
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wake — a trail
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ball — a great time

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