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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bound — certain
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. degree — an amount
  12. key — the most important part
  13. degree — from a university
  14. club — for dancing
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. club — a group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — for golf
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bound — tied together

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