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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. season — in sport
  3. press — a publisher
  4. firm — steady
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. firm — decided
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — in music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — of the year
  15. tear — from crying
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — a friend
  20. press — to push
  21. race — humankind
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tear — to rip

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