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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wake — a trail
  3. court — for sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. press — newspapers
  9. object — to protest
  10. current — happening now
  11. press — to push
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. court — of law
  16. current — of water
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. object — an aim
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — to sink

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