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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. file — a tool
  3. swing — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. file — a document
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — to push
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. chair — a leader
  24. row — a line

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