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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. press — a publisher
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — of a king
  10. press — newspapers
  11. race — humankind
  12. court — for sport
  13. wake — a trail
  14. race — the arms race
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — to push
  22. race — a contest
  23. court — of law
  24. key — the most important part

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