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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. key — for a lock
  7. press — to push
  8. key — in music
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rush — hurry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mark — a grade
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. track — a song
  21. last — finally
  22. tube — a container
  23. key — the most important part
  24. swing — music

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