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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. march — the month
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chip — to eat
  13. march — music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lean — thin
  17. press — to push
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — a leader
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bank — for money
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — a publisher

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