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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rock — music
  3. key — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. press — a publisher
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rock — a stone
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. press — to push
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ruler — for measuring

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