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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. press — newspapers
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a music group
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. branch — a division
  21. staff — employees
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. press — to push
  24. branch — of a tree

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