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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. key — the most important part
  6. suit — clothes
  7. content — happy
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. key — for a lock
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — in music
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. press — to push
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — in cards

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