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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: lie · key · board · hide · race · mate · staff · press

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. press — to push
  8. mate — a friend
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. staff — a stick
  15. key — in music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lie — to recline
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. race — a contest
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. board — a committee
  24. mate — a partner

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