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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: wake · swing · cabinet · key · track · degree · press · face

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — from a university
  5. press — to push
  6. key — in music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. track — a song
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — a trail
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. track — a path
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — to keep track
  22. press — newspapers
  23. degree — an amount
  24. key — the most important part

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