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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. press — newspapers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — to push
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. press — a publisher
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — a division
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — to recline
  23. key — in music
  24. stand — to bear

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