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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chest — a box
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. press — newspapers
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — of ice
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. stand — to bear
  24. object — a thing

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