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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. can — to be able to
  3. press — to push
  4. race — humankind
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. bank — for money
  9. press — a publisher
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mug — a cup
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — a contest
  19. mine — for digging
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — in music
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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