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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bore — to drill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. race — a contest
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a document
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. file — a tool
  14. key — in music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. race — humankind
  20. file — a line of people
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — the arms race
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. perch — the fish

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