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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. firm — a company
  3. press — to push
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — employees
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — decided
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. staff — employees
  23. cap — a lid
  24. press — a publisher

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