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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spring — the season
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — of water
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — of law
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spring — a coil
  18. date — the fruit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bore — to drill
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mate — a friend
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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