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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. chair — a leader
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. cold — an illness
  10. press — to push
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cold — not warm
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. key — in music
  17. tube — a container
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tube — the underground
  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