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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. press — to push
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rest — a break
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — bread
  24. dip — a sauce

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