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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. last — finally
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. press — a publisher
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. toast — bread
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stem — to come from
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kick — in football

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