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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. last — to go on
  3. object — a thing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — to push
  7. last — finally
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mug — a cup
  15. last — final
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — newspapers
  20. key — in music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — a face
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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