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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. object — a thing
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — for a lock
  9. present — the time now
  10. bound — certain
  11. last — finally
  12. press — to push
  13. present — there
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. object — to protest
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bound — tied together
  19. object — an aim
  20. key — in music
  21. present — a gift
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. press — a publisher
  24. key — the most important part

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