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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. drill — the tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. drill — a practice
  8. press — a publisher
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a skill
  18. row — a line
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. craft — boats
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — for a lock
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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