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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hand — in cards
  8. press — a publisher
  9. drill — army training
  10. spell — magic
  11. hand — help
  12. drill — a practice
  13. press — to push
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wax — in the ear

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