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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. shower — rain
  6. key — in music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hand — help
  12. bound — certain
  13. chip — to eat
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. chip — for betting
  21. hand — in cards
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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