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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.

Make a worksheet

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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. fall — to drop
  4. row — a line
  5. press — newspapers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. key — for a lock
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. press — to push
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — the most important part
  15. suit — clothes
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — in music
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — to paddle
  21. suit — in cards
  22. sharp — clever
  23. last — final
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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