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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. swing — to play on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cell — in biology
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. scale — size or range
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — in music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. swing — music
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. press — newspapers
  24. swing — in golf

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