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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — a price
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. press — to push
  15. snap — to click
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. charge — in control
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stock — goods
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stand — to bear

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