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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: cap · rash · press · chair · season · kick · rock · plane

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — a stone
  7. press — newspapers
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. press — to push
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — in sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cap — a hat
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — a lid
  20. kick — in football
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rash — hasty

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