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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. chest — a box
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. press — newspapers
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — to push
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chest — of your body
  18. firm — a company
  19. deal — to handle
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — a stick
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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