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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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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: chair · bulb · rock · lean · firm · kid · safe · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lean — thin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. press — to push
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lean — to bend
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. kid — to tease
  14. firm — a company
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — newspapers
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kid — child
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. safe — a strongbox

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