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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · fan · staff · net · key · sharp · wave · suit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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 — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. press — to push
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — a stick
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — in sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. press — newspapers
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. staff — employees
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  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