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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kick — in football
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — to drill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — final
  13. key — the most important part
  14. last — to go on
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. last — finally
  20. key — in music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — a soup base

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