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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.

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: lash · plane · chair · press · pop · object · cabinet · wave

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. press — to push
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — soda
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wave — of the sea

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