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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — newspapers
  3. staff — a stick
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. last — final
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. staff — employees
  14. fine — all right
  15. field — farmland
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. press — to push
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spell — a short time
  24. kick — in football

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