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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · staff · press · hide · race · key

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. key — the most important part
  3. press — newspapers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. race — humankind
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — in music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — a stick
  12. perch — the fish
  13. race — the arms race
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — to push
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret

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