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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — to recline
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. object — an aim
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — a group
  15. chest — of your body
  16. press — to push
  17. object — to protest
  18. staff — a stick
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — a box
  22. press — a publisher
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. staff — employees

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