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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. key — in music
  3. content — happy
  4. press — to push
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. swing — to play on
  9. key — for a lock
  10. last — to go on
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. drill — the tool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. press — a publisher
  17. drill — a practice
  18. swing — music
  19. content — the amount
  20. last — finally
  21. key — the most important part
  22. drill — army training
  23. last — final
  24. suit — in cards

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