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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. drill — army training
  3. tube — a container
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. press — to push
  9. key — in music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pop — soda
  15. file — a document
  16. pop — music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pop — to visit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — to grow
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tube — the underground

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