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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. land — ground
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chair — a leader
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mate — a partner
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mate — to breed
  19. land — to come down
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. land — a country
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. press — to push

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