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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bound — certain
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. field — farmland
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. field — a subject
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — tied together
  17. key — the most important part
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — in music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. field — for sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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