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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bore — to drill
  3. key — the most important part
  4. file — a tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cap — of ice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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