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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — money
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. capital — a city
  11. bore — to tire
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rule — a law
  23. mark — a trace
  24. saw — the tool

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