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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. drill — a practice
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bound — certain
  24. drill — army training

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