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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mate — a partner
  6. press — a publisher
  7. firm — decided
  8. object — a thing
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. bark — to shout
  12. object — an aim
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — steady
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — newspapers
  20. object — to protest
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — to push
  23. fall — the season
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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