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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — of water
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — newspapers
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — a publisher
  10. band — a music group
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. current — happening now
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. swing — to play on
  18. press — to push
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — electric
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. firm — a company
  24. chair — a leader

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