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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. staff — employees
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bear — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cap — of ice
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — employees
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — a measure
  17. staff — a stick
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cap — a hat
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bear — the animal

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