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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. toast — bread
  3. press — a publisher
  4. court — of a king
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — newspapers
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pass — a permit
  14. press — to push
  15. plane — a tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — finally
  19. court — for sport
  20. last — final
  21. court — of law
  22. last — to go on
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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