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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bore — to drill
  4. key — in music
  5. last — finally
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — for a lock
  9. last — final
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ground — the earth
  15. last — to go on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bore — to tire

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