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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. season — of the year
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — a publisher
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pit — in a race
  17. press — to push
  18. key — in music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. key — the most important part
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. season — to add flavour

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