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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — to drill
  5. march — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. key — the most important part
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — to push
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bore — to tire

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