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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. row — to paddle
  5. press — newspapers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cold — not warm
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rash — hasty
  11. staff — a stick
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. press — a publisher
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. row — a line
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. press — to push
  22. chair — a leader
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a quarrel

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