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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. firm — steady
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — decided
  10. court — of law
  11. key — for a lock
  12. sharp — clever
  13. court — of a king
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fall — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — to push
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — to recline
  21. court — for sport
  22. press — newspapers
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. swing — in golf

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