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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spell — a short time
  3. press — a publisher
  4. capital — a city
  5. spell — magic
  6. suit — to fit
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a great time
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spell — letters
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — money
  15. suit — clothes
  16. press — to push
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. toast — bread
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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