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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. key — the most important part
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. row — a line
  5. bore — to tire
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. row — to paddle
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. spring — a coil
  10. track — a path
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. key — in music
  14. spring — the season
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — to keep track
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kick — in football
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bore — to drill
  21. plane — a tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — a song
  24. row — a quarrel

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