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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. key — the most important part
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. spell — magic
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. race — a contest
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spell — letters
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kid — child
  19. content — the amount
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. key — in music
  23. bark — to shout
  24. key — for a lock

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