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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ground — the earth
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — a leader
  20. face — to confront
  21. kick — in football
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. spell — a short time
  24. key — in music

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