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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. press — a publisher
  5. swing — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chest — a box
  10. last — to go on
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. last — finally
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bass — low music
  23. last — final
  24. chair — a leader

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