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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — clever
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. key — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. net — after costs

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