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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. squash — to crush
  5. swing — music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. press — a publisher
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. game — wild animals
  17. chair — a leader
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. swing — in golf
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. press — to push
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. safe — a strongbox

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