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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hand — help
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. key — in music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. key — for a lock
  19. kid — child
  20. rush — hurry
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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