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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pop — music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — in music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ruler — for measuring

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