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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fork — in a road
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cold — not warm
  13. press — a publisher
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. press — to push
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. press — newspapers
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — a container

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