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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. root — of a word
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — a position
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — in music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. charge — in control
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. root — of a plant
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. face — part of the head
  17. root — the cause
  18. charge — a price
  19. bore — to drill
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — crushed
  24. face — to confront

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