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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · press · mug · field · content · lean · fall · pass

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fall — the season
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mug — to rob
  11. press — to push
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. content — happy
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — the amount
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mug — a face
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chair — a leader
  24. field — for sport

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