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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: chair · kid · current · wound · foot · trunk · sharp · press

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kid — child
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. current — of water
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. press — newspapers
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kid — to tease
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — to push
  21. sharp — clever
  22. current — electric
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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