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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: cabinet · foot · snap · firm · press · game · chair · charge

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. press — to push
  6. firm — decided
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. snap — to click
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. firm — a company
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chair — a leader
  14. press — newspapers
  15. charge — a price
  16. foot — a measure
  17. game — wild animals
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. press — a publisher
  23. charge — in control
  24. cabinet — ministers

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