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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mark — a trace
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. race — humankind
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — newspapers
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. press — to push
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. race — a contest
  24. key — in music

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