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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — to push
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — the time now
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — to eat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. press — newspapers
  22. present — there
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — a publisher

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