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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — in music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. content — the amount
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. key — for a lock
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. charge — a price
  23. current — of water
  24. bore — gave birth

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