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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. scale — in music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — to push
  8. staff — employees
  9. firm — steady
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. firm — decided
  14. content — happy
  15. firm — a company
  16. press — newspapers
  17. scale — size or range
  18. band — a ring
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. content — the amount
  24. band — a music group

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