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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. press — to push
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — an amount
  10. key — for a lock
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — to grow
  15. drill — a practice
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. press — newspapers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pass — to succeed

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