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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.

Make a worksheet

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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chair — a leader
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. press — to push
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — a break
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lean — thin
  24. chair — a professorship

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