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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. press — a publisher
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fine — all right
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fork — in a road
  7. drill — army training
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — to push
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — high quality
  18. key — for a lock
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. press — newspapers
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rest — a break
  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