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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. press — a publisher
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. object — a thing
  10. press — to push
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. key — the most important part
  14. press — newspapers
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — a line
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. object — an aim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. object — to protest

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