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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. press — a publisher
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — newspapers
  5. staff — employees
  6. cell — a phone
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. press — to push
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — to bend
  15. kid — child
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. staff — employees
  24. cell — in a prison

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