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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rule — a law
  4. face — to confront
  5. snap — to click
  6. key — in music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pit — in a race
  9. hand — in cards
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hand — help
  12. press — newspapers
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — a hole
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. press — to push
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. march — music
  24. key — the most important part

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