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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. object — an aim
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. key — the most important part
  14. object — to protest
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. press — to push
  19. object — a thing
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. key — in music
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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