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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chair — a leader
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — a match
  13. capital — money
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. capital — a city
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cue — for pool
  18. press — to push
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. press — a publisher
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cue — a hint

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