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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.

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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: mine · wave · key · board · fall · press · chest · mark

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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 — belonging to me
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. key — in music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chest — a box
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mark — a grade
  24. press — a publisher

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