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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chair — a leader
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — to push
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — hurry

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