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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — hurry
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. suit — in cards
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. press — to push
  10. key — in music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bat — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. suit — clothes

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