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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bore — to drill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bore — to tire
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — to paddle
  9. last — to go on
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. row — a line
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. last — finally
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. charge — a price
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. charge — electricity
  23. last — final
  24. deal — to handle

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