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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. key — for a lock
  3. press — newspapers
  4. dip — to sink
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. spring — the season
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. clip — a video
  16. press — to push
  17. spring — of water
  18. clip — to cut
  19. sharp — clever
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  24. clip — for paper

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