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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.

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: cabinet · press · temple · pit · bore · hand · key · date

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — in cards
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — in music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — help
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bore — to drill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. press — to push
  19. date — the fruit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  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