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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. press — to push
  4. season — in sport
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. foot — a measure
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. date — the fruit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. drill — a practice
  20. season — of the year
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rest — what's left

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