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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — in music
  3. press — to push
  4. fine — all right
  5. press — a publisher
  6. clip — to cut
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — a video
  14. foot — a measure
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. press — newspapers
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — high quality

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