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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kick — in football
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. game — a match
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — a publisher
  15. staff — a stick
  16. spell — magic
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — a break
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — a short time

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