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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. press — to push
  5. tube — a container
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bank — of a river
  10. key — in music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — a price
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. charge — in control
  23. key — the most important part
  24. press — a publisher

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