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

Word bank: tube · press · key · bay · date · bore · cold · deal

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. deal — to handle
  3. press — to push
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cold — an illness
  7. press — newspapers
  8. key — in music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. tube — a container
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cold — not warm
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. key — for a lock
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — the underground
  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