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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. press — to push
  3. spell — magic
  4. press — a publisher
  5. last — final
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — a short time
  11. degree — temperature
  12. suit — in cards
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spell — letters
  18. degree — from a university
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. band — a ring
  21. last — finally
  22. band — a music group
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. press — newspapers

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