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

Word bank: press · current · wind · staff · ruler · temple · pass · key

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. press — to push
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — newspapers
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. current — electric
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. staff — employees
  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