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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bore — to tire
  8. key — in music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — the most important part
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. suit — in cards
  15. land — ground
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. land — a country
  21. bore — to drill
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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