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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — a trail
  3. content — happy
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. net — in sport
  7. key — in music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. last — to go on
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — for catching
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. content — the amount
  17. key — the most important part
  18. press — a publisher
  19. last — finally
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. press — to push
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. last — final

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