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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — newspapers
  5. hand — help
  6. tube — a container
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. perch — the fish
  14. craft — boats
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rash — hasty
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hand — in cards
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — a series
  24. key — in music

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