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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. staff — employees
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. press — to push
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. leaves — lets stay

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