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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. land — to come down
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. roll — a list
  6. press — to push
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lie — to recline
  12. press — a publisher
  13. suit — clothes
  14. roll — a cake
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — to fit
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. land — ground
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. suit — in cards
  22. land — a country
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chair — a leader

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