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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — newspapers
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. press — to push
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — a partner
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mate — to breed

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