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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pop — to visit
  9. press — to push
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. deal — to handle
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pop — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — an untruth

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