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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: press · land · chair · bound · sharp · nail · key · plane

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. press — newspapers
  5. land — to come down
  6. bound — tied together
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. press — a publisher
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — ground
  13. key — the most important part
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. press — to push
  16. chair — a leader
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — on a finger

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