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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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 — to sit on
  2. firm — a company
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fine — all right
  8. rest — a break
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — steady
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. press — to push
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — to grow
  18. firm — decided
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rest — what's left
  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