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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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — a break
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — to push
  8. cold — an illness
  9. present — the time now
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — there
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. present — a gift
  24. cold — not warm

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