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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bore — to tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — in music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — to bend
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. press — to push
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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