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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. march — the month
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. press — newspapers
  16. row — a line
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pass — a permit
  19. press — a publisher
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. staff — employees
  24. press — to push

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