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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. dip — to sink
  4. press — to push
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — happening now
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — for a lock
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. current — electric
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lie — to recline

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