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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. press — to push
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — to go on
  8. track — a song
  9. last — finally
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. key — the most important part
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — final
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a path
  18. rush — hurry

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