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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's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — in cards
  6. press — to push
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. suit — clothes
  10. staff — a stick
  11. press — newspapers
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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