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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. charge — a price
  5. key — for a lock
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. press — to push
  10. roll — a list
  11. key — in music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — the most important part
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cell — in biology
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. charge — in control
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cell — a phone
  24. press — newspapers

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