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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: press · key · file · hand · fan · date · object · race

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. race — the arms race
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. object — to protest
  7. key — in music
  8. race — humankind
  9. object — a thing
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hand — help
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. file — a document
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. race — a contest
  16. press — to push
  17. key — the most important part
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hand — in cards
  23. press — newspapers
  24. file — a tool

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