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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cold — not warm
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bore — to tire
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mark — a grade
  22. last — final
  23. key — in music
  24. rush — a thrill

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