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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — clothes
  3. press — to push
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chip — to eat
  6. suit — to fit
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — letters
  11. suit — in cards
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spell — a short time
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spell — magic
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. face — to confront
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chip — for betting
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. press — newspapers
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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