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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tube — the underground
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. staff — employees
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. press — to push
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — to rob
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mug — a face
  15. date — the fruit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. calf — a young animal

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