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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. race — a contest
  3. press — to push
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. press — newspapers
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. press — a publisher
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. net — after costs
  20. bark — to shout
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. net — for catching

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