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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bound — certain
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — obliged
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rest — a break
  20. press — a publisher
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bound — tied together
  24. press — newspapers

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