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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · chest · prune · key · nail · swing · press · fan

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chest — a box
  3. prune — to trim
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. toast — bread
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chest — of your body
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. press — to push
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. key — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. swing — in golf

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