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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — in sport
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. key — in music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bore — to tire
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stock — shares
  24. key — the most important part

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