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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 124 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. press — to push
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fall — the season
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — the fish

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