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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — in sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rest — what's left
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. net — after costs
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — a break
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cue — a signal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. vault — a safe
  21. net — for catching
  22. press — to push
  23. cue — a hint
  24. press — newspapers

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