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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — clever
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a trace
  18. swing — to play on
  19. press — newspapers
  20. face — to confront
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mark — a grade
  24. face — to point toward

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