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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. press — newspapers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. roll — a cake
  8. staff — a stick
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — employees
  12. press — a publisher
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. land — a country
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — to come down
  19. band — a music group
  20. land — ground
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. press — to push
  24. patient — a sick person

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