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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.

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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — a break
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rest — what's left

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