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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — music
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. press — a publisher
  9. file — a line of people
  10. firm — steady
  11. bound — certain
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. file — a document
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cap — of ice
  21. swing — to play on
  22. press — to push
  23. swing — in golf
  24. press — newspapers

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