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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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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: bore · wax · key · game · staff · tear · press · can

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — to be able to
  9. game — a match
  10. wax — to grow
  11. game — wild animals
  12. key — the most important part
  13. press — newspapers
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — in music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — for a lock
  23. press — to push
  24. tear — to rip

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