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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — to push
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — what's left
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. squash — to crush
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. saw — the tool
  21. row — a line
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. press — newspapers

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