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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. current — of water
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. current — happening now
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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