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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. press — to push
  4. firm — a company
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. spell — a short time
  7. key — the most important part
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. last — final
  10. firm — steady
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — letters
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spell — magic
  16. key — for a lock
  17. last — to go on
  18. press — newspapers
  19. last — finally
  20. key — in music
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. firm — decided
  24. branch — of a tree

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