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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.

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: land · root · nail · press · arm · wound · key · chip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chip — to eat
  3. key — the most important part
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — of a plant
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — the cause
  13. key — in music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — for betting
  16. land — ground
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. root — of a word
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — part of the body

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