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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.

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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: rest · mug · press · swing · bark · saw · chair · cue

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — a signal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rest — a break
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mug — to rob
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. swing — music
  12. press — to push
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. press — newspapers
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chair — a professorship

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