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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. roll — a cake
  6. spell — magic
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spell — a short time
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spell — letters
  17. lie — to recline
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. press — a publisher
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. key — in music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. press — to push

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