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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. present — a gift
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rest — a break
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bound — certain
  13. press — to push
  14. present — the time now
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — there
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wave — of the sea
  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