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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · scale · key · press · mine · sharp · suit · tear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. sharp — clever
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — newspapers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tear — to rip
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. press — to push
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. key — for a lock
  21. suit — in cards
  22. key — in music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — for weighing

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