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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. press — a publisher
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. file — a document
  6. chip — for betting
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — the most important part
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a line of people
  13. degree — an amount
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. key — in music
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — to eat
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — newspapers
  24. file — a 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