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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — a break
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — a safe
  9. staff — employees
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. press — to push
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. press — newspapers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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