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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 116 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: last · press · mug · fan · key · spring · staff · bat

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. press — to push
  3. last — finally
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. spring — the season
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. key — in music
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — newspapers
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spring — of water
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. key — the most important part
  22. press — a publisher
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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