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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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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. race — humankind
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bore — to tire
  8. key — in music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. race — a contest
  11. key — the most important part
  12. press — newspapers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wake — a trail
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. press — to push
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wound — an injury

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