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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 124 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ground — the earth
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ground — a position
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hand — in cards
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hand — help
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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