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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. key — in music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bore — to tire
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. press — to push
  13. tube — a container
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pop — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pop — soda
  19. press — a publisher
  20. tube — the underground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bore — to drill

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