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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ground — crushed
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. suit — to fit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chair — a leader
  19. press — to push
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ground — a position
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stem — of a plant

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