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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. season — of the year
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mug — a face
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — in music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — to push
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mug — a cup
  20. sharp — clever
  21. press — newspapers
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. lie — to recline

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