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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rule — a law
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rule — government
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. press — a publisher
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wind — moving air

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