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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bore — to drill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — in music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. squash — to crush
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fork — in a road
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. suit — clothes
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — clever

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