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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 120 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: wind · chair · press · firm · ruler · rock · mine · bore

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. firm — a company
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. press — to push
  8. firm — steady
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mine — for digging
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. firm — decided
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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