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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. track — a path
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — for a lock
  8. snap — to click
  9. object — an aim
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. march — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. object — a thing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. object — to protest
  24. bore — gave birth

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