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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. tube — the underground
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. press — to push
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bat — the animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bound — obliged
  19. press — newspapers
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rush — hurry

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