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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — in cards
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. board — a committee
  9. press — to push
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. clip — a video
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — to get on
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. clip — for paper
  21. object — an aim
  22. hand — help
  23. chair — a leader
  24. clip — to cut

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