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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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 leader
  2. press — to push
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. face — to confront
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — an aim
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — to protest
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. object — a thing
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. face — to point toward
  23. press — a publisher
  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