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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chair — a leader
  11. press — newspapers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — a series
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. press — to push
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. key — for a lock

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