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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — to push
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rest — what's left
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ball — a dance
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — a song

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