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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fork — in a road
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. file — a document
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. key — for a lock
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. file — a tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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