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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a hole
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pit — in a race
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. last — to go on
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. press — to push
  16. key — for a lock
  17. last — final
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. last — finally
  20. bore — to drill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ground — a position
  24. bark — to shout

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