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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 120 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. object — an aim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. staff — a stick
  10. object — to protest
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — a container
  15. staff — employees
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — a thing
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a match

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