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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — certain
  3. bore — to drill
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. staff — employees
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rest — a break
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — in sport
  21. stem — to come from
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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