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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mine — for digging
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. press — a publisher
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — to push
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. staff — a stick

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