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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. scale — size or range
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — in music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bound — certain
  18. scale — in music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. drill — army training

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