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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. press — newspapers
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rest — a break
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bass — low music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — to push
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. spring — of water
  23. bass — the fish
  24. trunk — of a tree

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