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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — to push
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — on a finger

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