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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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spell — letters
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. can — a tin
  12. root — the cause
  13. kick — in football
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. press — to push
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — a publisher
  21. root — of a word
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spell — magic
  24. root — of a plant

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