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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · key · calf · drill · press · cue · straw · ball

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — to push
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. drill — a practice
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. key — for a lock
  15. drill — army training
  16. ball — a dance
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. press — a publisher
  21. key — in music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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