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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. press — to push
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. press — a publisher
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — newspapers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — a committee
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — to get on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rush — hurry
  21. staff — a stick
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — to 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