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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — a company
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mate — a partner
  16. suit — to fit
  17. press — newspapers
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — to breed
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. kick — in football
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mate — a friend

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