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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. press — to push
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. season — of the year
  10. chest — a box
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. press — a publisher
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bark — of a tree

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