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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. last — to go on
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. race — a contest
  10. chest — of your body
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — final
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. charge — a price
  16. race — humankind
  17. chair — a leader
  18. race — the arms race
  19. press — to push
  20. last — finally
  21. chest — of your body
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. press — a publisher

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