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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 120 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 a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — a publisher
  9. race — humankind
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. press — to push
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — the tool
  24. race — a contest

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