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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: press · chest · ground · fall · key · present · can · mug

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — to push
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mug — a face
  10. present — there
  11. press — newspapers
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — in music
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — a gift
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fall — the season
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chest — of your body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mug — a cup
  24. present — the time now

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