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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. press — newspapers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. press — to push
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — shares
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. press — a publisher
  18. suit — clothes
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — in cards

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