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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — a line
  5. capital — money
  6. face — to point toward
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. march — music
  11. press — to push
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — to confront
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. staff — a stick
  23. press — a publisher
  24. saw — the tool

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