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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. staff — employees
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. sharp — clever
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. staff — a stick
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pound — a weight
  16. press — a publisher
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cold — not warm
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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