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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fine — all right
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rock — music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — a position
  18. rash — a series
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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