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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. press — newspapers
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rush — hurry
  15. press — to push
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wind — moving air

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