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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. suit — to fit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kick — in football
  16. root — of a word
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chair — a leader
  19. press — newspapers
  20. root — the cause
  21. press — to push
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bank — of a river

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