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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spell — magic
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — letters
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. clip — a video
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — for paper

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