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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tear — to rip
  6. key — for a lock
  7. staff — employees
  8. press — newspapers
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — in music
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tear — from crying
  21. press — to push
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. staff — a stick

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