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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.

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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. press — to push
  3. chair — a leader
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. season — of the year
  21. rest — a break
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. season — in sport

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