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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bat — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. band — a music group
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. band — a ring
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. snap — to click
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chair — a leader

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