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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. key — in music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. bound — obliged
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fork — in a road
  8. spring — the season
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — certain
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bound — tied together
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spring — of water

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