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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — a publisher
  3. charge — a price
  4. chair — a leader
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hand — help
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. key — in music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. charge — in control
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. present — a gift
  22. press — to push
  23. key — for a lock
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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