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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. squash — to crush
  5. drill — army training
  6. key — in music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — a practice
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bore — to drill
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — an injury
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. staff — a stick
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. squash — the sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. key — for a lock

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