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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.

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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. press — newspapers
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chair — a leader
  5. key — the most important part
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. press — to push
  8. clip — to cut
  9. key — for a lock
  10. band — a ring
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. key — in music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. clip — a video
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a music group
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. saw — the tool

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