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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chair — a leader
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — in control
  19. plane — a tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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