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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. press — newspapers
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. press — a publisher
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. dip — to sink
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — hasty
  22. press — to push
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rash — a series

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