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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — in music
  6. press — to push
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. scale — in music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. key — the most important part
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. scale — size or range
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ground — a position
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. press — newspapers
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. key — for a lock
  24. snap — to click

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