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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 112 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — to push
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. last — to go on
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rest — a break
  13. rash — a series
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. press — newspapers
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. last — finally

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