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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. press — a publisher
  6. swing — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. press — to push
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — to grow
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — in golf
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — newspapers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bound — certain
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wake — before a funeral

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