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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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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: bay · press · net · chair · mouse · prune · tube · rest

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. press — to push
  5. rest — a break
  6. tube — a container
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — newspapers
  13. net — for catching
  14. chair — a leader
  15. net — in sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. net — after costs
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. press — a publisher

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