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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: press · safe · chair · current · fan · tear · squash · foot

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tear — to rip
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — of water
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. press — to push
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — happening now
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. current — electric
  24. safe — out of danger

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