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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ground — a position
  5. last — final
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. ground — crushed
  19. press — to push
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. last — finally
  24. key — for a lock

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