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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. key — in music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kid — child
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. press — to push
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — a measure

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