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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bore — to tire
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. clip — a video
  11. present — the time now
  12. squash — the sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. clip — for paper
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. present — a gift
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. present — there
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. clip — to cut

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