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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — decided
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. club — for golf
  7. craft — a skill
  8. roll — a list
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. firm — a company
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — steady
  16. press — a publisher
  17. roll — a cake
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — boats
  24. press — newspapers

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