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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ball — a great time
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bore — to drill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ball — a dance
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bore — to tire
  12. press — a publisher
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. key — in music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fork — in a road
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hand — help

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