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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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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. key — for a lock
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spring — the season
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — of water
  21. press — to push
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. press — a publisher
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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