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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stem — to come from
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. press — to push
  7. staff — a stick
  8. file — a tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. can — a tin
  15. file — a document
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — child
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — to grow
  24. can — a tin

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