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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lean — to bend
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mark — a trace
  5. key — in music
  6. capital — money
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tube — the underground
  11. press — to push
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lean — thin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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