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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — a grade
  7. net — for catching
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — after costs
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. press — to push
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bass — low music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — in sport
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — a part of something

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