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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. press — to push
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stock — shares
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — goods
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. key — in music
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. face — to confront
  24. press — a publisher

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