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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — the most important part
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — army training
  7. press — to push
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chip — to eat
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. band — a ring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — a safe
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. band — a music group
  20. key — in music
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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