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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: key · nail · stick · saw · tube · bulb · roll · press

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. key — for a lock
  10. press — to push
  11. roll — a list
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — a container
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — the most important part
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — in music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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