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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chair — a leader
  4. press — to push
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — newspapers
  8. club — a group
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. club — for dancing
  12. press — a publisher
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. club — for golf
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wake — a trail
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wind — moving air

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