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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: staff · spell · key · straw · bore · present · tube · race

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. present — the time now
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — a contest
  6. key — in music
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spell — letters
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. present — there
  16. key — for a lock
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — humankind
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spell — magic

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