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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · racket · press · trunk · bear · hand · wax · charge

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — a publisher
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. charge — a price
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — in control
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chair — a leader
  20. press — to push
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bear — the animal

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