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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. press — a publisher
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. press — to push
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. press — newspapers
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. key — in music
  17. toast — bread
  18. hide — to keep secret

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