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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — final
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bound — certain
  6. press — to push
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. press — newspapers
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — a publisher
  18. last — to go on
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. last — finally
  23. key — for a lock
  24. perch — the fish

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