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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 124 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. tube — the underground
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. chest — a box
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. capital — a city
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. staff — employees
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — newspapers
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. capital — money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. arm — part of the body

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