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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — in football
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. spell — letters
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. press — a publisher
  18. perch — the fish
  19. key — in music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — a weight
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — for a lock

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