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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
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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: key · net · fall · board · press · can · ruler · wake

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. press — a publisher
  3. net — in sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — in music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — a trail
  8. net — after costs
  9. board — a committee
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — for catching
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fall — the season
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ruler — a monarch

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