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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 120 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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — a publisher
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — to push
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — a stick
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. staff — employees
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — newspapers
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kid — child

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