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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. press — newspapers
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. swing — to play on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kick — in football
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. swing — music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. key — for a lock
  24. toast — bread

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