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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. press — newspapers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. snap — to click
  11. bound — certain
  12. race — a contest
  13. can — a tin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. race — humankind
  16. press — to push
  17. swing — to play on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. can — to be able to
  20. key — in music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. swing — in golf
  23. race — the arms race
  24. can — a tin

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