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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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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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