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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cap — a lid
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. press — to push
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rule — a law
  10. press — newspapers
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mug — a cup
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cap — of ice
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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