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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 124 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rule — a law
  6. march — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rule — government
  11. key — in music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ball — a dance
  14. key — the most important part
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — to crush
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a great time
  20. press — to push
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. press — a publisher

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