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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. capital — a city
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. last — finally
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cue — for pool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. last — to go on
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cue — a hint
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. swing — to play on
  16. press — to push
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — money
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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