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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. club — for golf
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — for a lock
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — a group
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — a stick
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spell — a short time
  14. club — for dancing
  15. press — to push
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — government
  19. key — the most important part
  20. spell — letters
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rule — a law
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rule — to rule out

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