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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. press — to push
  3. tear — from crying
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lie — to recline
  10. key — for a lock
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tear — from crying
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — clever
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tear — to rip

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