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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. key — for a lock
  3. land — ground
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. press — a publisher
  6. season — of the year
  7. wake — a trail
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — in music
  10. press — to push
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. plane — a tool
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — the most important part
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. land — to come down
  18. season — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — newspapers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. can — a tin

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