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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bore — to tire
  24. vault — a safe

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