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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · last · cabinet · fan · mouse · press · staff · race

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — a break
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. staff — employees
  10. last — finally
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — the arms race
  16. last — final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  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