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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. last — final
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — to go on
  7. press — to push
  8. last — finally
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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