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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ball — a great time
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. key — the most important part
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cold — an illness
  11. dip — to sink
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. press — a publisher
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cold — not warm
  19. key — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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