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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: key · pop · bound · firm · nail · dip · row · press

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. firm — decided
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. key — in music
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. press — to push
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. row — a line
  14. key — the most important part
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bound — certain
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bound — tied together
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — for a hammer

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