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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. press — to push
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fall — the season
  15. stand — to bear
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. capital — money
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. track — a song
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. capital — a city

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