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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. key — for a lock
  5. land — a country
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bound — tied together
  9. press — newspapers
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. key — in music
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. land — to come down
  16. press — a publisher
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. content — the amount
  22. land — ground
  23. press — to push
  24. straw — dry grass

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