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

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — finally
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. last — to go on
  10. key — in music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — the most important part
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. last — final
  18. bore — gave birth

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