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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lean — to bend
  4. press — newspapers
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — thin
  7. march — music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. cell — a phone
  15. march — the month
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. press — to push
  18. key — for a lock
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. press — a publisher
  24. key — in music

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