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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — to push
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bore — to drill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. staff — employees
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — for digging

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