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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: net · press · track · key · mine · wave · chair · leaves

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — the most important part
  3. net — for catching
  4. track — a song
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — in music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chair — a leader
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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