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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 · chair · track · lash · ball · suit · temple · straw

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ball — a great time
  4. track — a path
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — newspapers
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. press — a publisher
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. chair — a leader
  20. suit — to fit
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. track — a song
  23. press — to push
  24. track — to keep track

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