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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 · ball · kick · fan · foot · bark · can · chair

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kick — in football
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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