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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: toast · pass · straw · can · lie · chair · press · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. press — to push
  6. toast — bread
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. can — a tin
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. press — newspapers
  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