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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kick — in football
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. season — of the year
  8. press — to push
  9. chair — a leader
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. press — newspapers
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bound — certain
  24. season — in sport

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