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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. suit — to fit
  7. last — final
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — finally
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — to tire
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bore — to drill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — in music
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tear — to rip

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