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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — to push
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. clip — a video
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cue — a signal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. clip — for paper
  24. shower — rain

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