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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rock — a stone
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. race — humankind
  12. bound — certain
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. race — the arms race
  20. press — to push
  21. chair — a leader
  22. press — a publisher
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bay — a horse colour

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