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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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. press — a publisher
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bass — low music
  6. spell — magic
  7. press — to push
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — in cards
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. press — newspapers
  16. key — in music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — help
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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