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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ground — the earth
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. drill — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. drill — army training
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ground — a position
  12. swing — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. degree — an amount
  18. season — in sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. swing — in golf
  22. degree — from a university
  23. swing — to play on
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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