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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fine — high quality
  4. press — a publisher
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — in sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fine — all right
  14. press — to push
  15. plane — a tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. drill — a practice
  20. season — of the year
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — in music

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