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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — to push
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pit — in a race
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the fish
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — a hole

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