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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. branch — a division
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — a stick
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rock — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. press — to push

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